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THE EMPOUSAI (or Empusae), MORMOLYKEIAI (Mormolyceae) and LAMIAI (Lamiae) were fearsome underworld Daimones who lured young men in the guise of beautiful women to their beds to their flesh and blood. Behind the deceiving illusion of a beautiful woman they were truly demonic--the Lamiai had serpentine tails in place of legs, while the Empousai had flaming hair and mismatched legs of brass and donkey.
Later authors described the Lamiai as haunting ghosts (phasma) which also employed illusion in the seduction of young men. They were companions of Hekate, the goddess of witchcraft and haunting ghosts, who came forth with her from the depths of the underworld. The Empousai and Lamiai were the ancient equivalent of vampyres and succubi.
PARENTS OF EMPOUSAI & LAMIAI
[1] Perhaps HEKATE
[2] Some were ghosts of dead women
PARENTS OF ONOSKELIS
[1] ARISTONYMOS & AN ASS (Aristocles Frag, Plutarch Greek & Roman Parallel Stories 29)
ENCYCLOPEDIA
EMPU′SA (Empousa), a monstrous spectre, which was believed to devour human beings. It could assume different forms, and was sent out by Hecate to frighten travellers. It was believed usually to appear with one leg of brass and the other of an ass. (Aristoph Ran. 294, Eccles. 1094.) Whenever a traveller addressed the monster with insulting words, it used to flee and utter a shrill sound. (Philostr Vit. Apoll. ii. 4.) The Lamiae and Mormolyceia, who assumed the form of handsome women for the purpose of attracting young men, and then sucked their blood like vampyrs and ate their flesh, were reckoned among the Empusae. (Philostr Vit. Apoll. iv. 25; Suid. s. v.)
LA′MIA (Lamia). In later times Lamiae were conceived as handsome ghostly women, who by voluptuous artifices attracted young men, in order to enjoy their fresh, youthful, and pure flesh and blood. They were thus in ancient times what the vampires are in modern legends. [p. 714] (Philostr. Vit. Apollon. iv. 25; Horat. de Art. Poet. 340; Isidor. Orig. viii. 11; Apulei. Met. i. p. 57; comp. Spanheim, ad Callim. Hymn. in Dian. 67.)
MORMO (Mormô), a female spectre, with which the Greeks used to frighten little children. (Aristoph. Acharn. 582, Pax, 474.) Mormo was one of the same class of bugbears as Empusa and Lamia.
MORMO′LYCE or MORMOLYCEION (Mormolukê, Mormolukeion), the same phantom or bugbear as Mormo, and also used for the same purpose. (Philostr. V'it. Apollon. iv. 25; Menandr. Reliq. p. 145, ed. Meineke; Aristoph. Thesin. 417 Strab. i. p. 19; Stob. Ecloq. p. 1010.)
Source: Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. C19th Classics Encyclopedia.
NAMES OF LAMIAI
LAMIA KORINTHIA A demon which haunted Korinth where she seduced and preyed on handsome young men.
LAMIA LIBYS A Libyan Queen loved by Zeus, whose children were stolen by Hera. She went into a child-murdering frenzy and became transformed into a demon.
LAMIA PHILINNION The ghost of a dead Macedonian woman who returned to seduce a young man.
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